The Arts-Muse Fair

—Sirajo Abdulazeez Illo Literature possesses the ability to transport readers to uncharted territories of the mind, where mystical realms intertwine with the fabric of reality. Umar Abubakar Sidi, a renowned poet and a helicopter pilot with the Nigerian Navy, has firmly established his presence in the African literary landscape through his work in which we find him seamlessly merging elements of sufism and surrealism together. With two critically acclaimed poetry volumes, The Poet of Dust and Like Butterflies Scattered About By Art Rascals, Sidi has captivated readers with his evocative metaphors, concise imagery, and insightful explorations of the enigmatic. Now, with the impending release of his debut novel, The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus, by Masobe Books, Sidi is adopting the guise of a novelist to take readers on another journey delving into mystery. We do not have to read excerpts from The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus before we, readers of Umar Abubakar

LOVE AND POETRY BY MARJAAN SADIQ Photo: Aminu S Muhammad You knew you're truly in love the day you wrote your first stanza. You've heard that people write nice poetry when they feel immense love, or sadness, or even happiness. Never hatred. Poetry should not be inspired by hatred: it is too beautiful. You wonder how something so "beautiful" can be inspired by sadness. You ask around, but you do not get a gratifying response. You draw the conclusion that pain has an inherent beauty. After all, without sadness, happiness cannot fully be appreciated. You think about Rumi, the famous poet of the thirteenth century, who was an Islamic scholar until Shams of Tabriz entered his life without warning, and exited it just as abruptly, turning Mawlana Rumi into a sad poet. You wonder if the stories that have transcended centuries are true, if Rumi and Shams did not have a romantic relationship, and you chide yourself for entertaining such lowly thoughts. You thi